Damaging and daunting: female journalists' experiences of sexual harassment in the newsroom. Issue 3 (3rd May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: North, Louise
• Is Part Of: Feminist media studies. Volume 16:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 495
• Page End: 510
• Publication Date: 2016-05-03
• Subjects: Sexual harassment -- female journalists -- survey of Australian female journalists -- gendered newsrooms -- gender and work; Feminism -- Periodicals; Women in mass media -- Periodicals; Mass media and women -- Periodicals; Feminist criticism -- Periodicals; Mass media and sex -- Periodicals; 302.23082
• DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2015.1105275
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1468-0777

Abstract

Abstract: Female journalists' experiences of sexual harassment are barely documented in the literature about Australian news journalism despite evidence of its ongoing prevalence. There have been some stories of harassment detailed in autobiographies by female journalists and the occasional article in the mainstream media about individual incidents, but it wasn't until 1996 that a union survey provided statistical evidence of an industry-wide problem. That Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance survey found that more than half of the 368 female participants had experienced sexual harassment at work. In 2012, I conducted the largest survey of female journalists in Australia finding that there was an increased number of respondents who had experienced sexual harassment in their workplaces. In a bid to better understand female journalists' experiences of sexual harassment, this paper analyses written comments made by survey participants in relation to key questions about harassment. It finds that most downplay its seriousness and do not make formal reports because they fear victimisation or retaliation. As a consequence, a culture of secrecy hides a major industry problem where many women believe they should work it out themselves and that harassment is the price they have to pay for working in a male-dominated industry.